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Is it a bad idea to wait until after college to get my first "real" job?

Other than working a bit with my parents on their retail business and running a few small chess camps, I have no work experience and little income coming in. Will that hurt me in the long run when finding a job after college? #FirstJob #Career #Experience

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Ken’s Answer

Any work experience that you have gained, as early as possible, especially that which would be related to your intended career area, would be very important as it not only gives you much needed exposure to the inside view of that career area, but it provides a way to show people how you can handle tasks and jobs in a responsible manner.


The most important thing for you to do is to get to know yourself better to know what career area would be most suitable and then talk face to face in person with people involved in that career area to get more of an inside view and get their assistance and insight into entering into that career area.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
Thank you comment icon Wow! Thank you for all of this important information regarding my future career. I greatly appreciate it! Joseph
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Blake’s Answer

Hey Joseph,

Is it bad? Not necessarily. However, most college graduates won't have experience in their field of study. Holding a job throughout college shows diligence. It shows that you have the ability to balance your work load and school load. This will separate you from other new graduates. If a job is going to tank your GPA, then no I would say don't do it. If that's the case, maybe volunteer? or a part time job?

Thanks,
Blake
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Julianna’s Answer

Hi Joseph,

I don't think waiting is a bad thing. But, if income is a concern, it might help to get a part-time job or internship (at least for a few hours a week).

The biggest thing I would keep in mind is your capacity to work and go to school. That's where you'll need to honest with yourself, and really stay in tune with how you are feeling. You wouldn't want your school work or job duties to suffer because you are exhausted. And, more importantly, your own mental/physical health!

My suggestion would be to find something that you can work maybe 5-10 hours a week. If you do that for a while, and feel like you can handle more, bump up the hours a little more.

From my own experience, I ended up making myself sick from exhaustion - and had to miss two weeks of classes! I was going to school full time, had an internship, and also a part time job. Everyone's capacity is different, but I'd hate to see that happen to you.

Good luck!
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